This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning debris from the water of a spa and more particularly to such apparatus which is readily attachable to a supply nozzle port of a spa and uses the circulating water emitted from the supply nozzle to create a vacuum and draw water and debris from the spa into a filter bag, the debris being collected in the bag while the water exits.
Spa tubs in which high velocity jets of heated aerated water enter through nozzles in the side walls of the tub to provide a stress reducing massaging action to the occupants are very popular because of the relaxing effects provided. As in in any tub fine particles of grit tend to accumulate and the tub should be cleaned periodically. However, unless the spa has an expensive elaborate built-in cleaning system, the tub must be emptied of water in order to remove fine debris which has accumulated. The spa filtration system and cleaning systems of most tubs having such systems are effective for removing debris such as leaves, but generally are ineffective for removal of fine materials such as sand, dirt and flakes. In known cleaning systems in which a vacuum action is used to suction water and debris from the tub through a hose and then through a filter, the filtered water thereafter is drawn to the inlet of a jet nozzle of the spa. They are therefore similar to swimming pool leaf skimmers. Johnson U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,057,372 and 4,443,899 illustrate such systems for spas while Henk U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,659; Macia U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,591 Tobias et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,389 illustrate swimming pool leaf skimmers. All of these systems use a venturi connected to the inlet side of the jet nozzle. Thus, unless a filter is placed before the nozzle, clogging of the nozzle may result. The debris filtration system must therefore be built into the spa or pool rather than being a relatively inexpensive accessory attachable to the spa plumbing when desired. In Pansini U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,281 there is illustrated a selectively usable leaf removal accessory which is fitted over the leaf trap in the floor of a swimming pool, the device having a ring through which water is pumped to create jets within the device for drawing leaves from the trap into a filter bag.